Focal an Lae #289
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: síor (SHEE-uhr) [s′iːr]
Meaning: síor = eternal, perpetual, ever-
Usage:
- Bíonn siad de shíor ag clamhsán. (BEE-uhn SHEE-uhd duh HEE-uhr uh KLOW-sawn) [b′iːən s′iːəd də hiːr ə klausaːn]
= They are constantly complaining.
- síoraíocht (SHEE-ree-uhkht) [s′iːriːəxt] = eternity
- síorchaint (SHEE-uhr-khynch, y as in “by”) [s′iːrxain′t′] = endless talk
History: Old Irish “sír” (long, lasting, constant) and Welsh “hir” (long) come from Common Celtic *sīro-,
from Indo-European *sē-ro-, a suffixed form of the root *sē- (long, late).
English uses the French word “soiree”, which comes from Latin “serus” (late), from the same IE source.
Scottish Gaelic: sìor